AGAVE. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



AILANTUS. 



blue flowers, useful for the margins of beds. 

 There is also a pretty golden variegated 

 form. It is among the prettiest of the 

 half-hardy bedding plants, but is not so 

 effective or good on heavy soils. Cuttings 

 or seed. 



AGAVE. Tropical-looking succulent 

 plants of the Amaryllis order, of which 

 the common kind, A. americana and its 

 variegated varieties are useful for placing 

 out-of-doors in summer in vases or pots 

 plunged in the ground, and also for 

 the conservatory in winter. When the 

 plant flowers, which it does only once, 

 and after several years' growth, it sends 

 up a flowering stem, from 26 ft. to nearly 

 40 ft. high. The flowers are a yellowish- 

 green, and are very numerous on the ends 

 of the chandelier-like branches. It may 

 be placed out-of-doors at the end of May, 

 and should be brought in in October. 

 Easily increased from suckers. A. Deserti, 

 utahensis, ccerulescens, and Shaivi have 

 lately come into cultivation, and are 

 supposed to be hardy, in which case they 

 will be interesting for the rock-garden. 

 North America. 



AGERATUM (Floss Flowet ). Half- 

 hardy herbaceous plants, varying in height 

 from 6 in. to 24 in., with pale-blue, laven- 

 der, or white blossoms. The dwarf Agera- 

 tums are among the best, but all are great- 

 ly overvalued, though they are among the 

 most lasting of summer bedding plants, 

 and as they will withstand a few degrees 

 of frost they may be planted out earlier 

 than most of the bedding plants. The 

 flowers are not readily injured by rain, and 

 do not fade in colour, but continue the same 

 throughout the long flowering season. 

 There are numerous varieties of varying 

 merit, some in good soil attaining a height 

 of 2 ft., and others not more than 6 in. 

 The very dwarf kinds are disappointing ; 

 they flower so freely, and the growth of 

 the plants is so sparse, that they always 

 appear stunted. For back lines in bor- 

 ders, or for grouping in mixed flower 

 borders, there is no variety better than 

 the oldest kind, A. mexicanum. They strike 

 best when placed on a gentle bottom-heat, 

 and will winter in any position where there 

 is plenty of light, and the temperature 

 does not go below 40. Cuttings. W. W. 



AGROSTEMMA (Rose Campion). A. 

 coronaria is a beautiful old flower, of the 

 Pink family, hardy and free, most at home 

 in chalky and dry soils. It is a woolly 

 plant, 2 ft. to 3 ft. high, bearing many 

 rosy-crimson flowers, in summer and 

 autumn, easily raised from seed, excellent 

 for borders, beds, and naturalisation on dry 

 banks. It is biennial or often perishes on 



some soils. There is a white variety and 

 a double red one ; the last is a good 

 plant. The name is sometimes given to 

 the annual Viscanas. A. Githago is a 

 large annual, occasionally grown in 

 botanic gardens. A. Walkeri is a hybrid 

 between A. coronaria and A. Flos-Jovis, 

 very compact, free flowering, and rich in 

 colour. 



A.GROSTIS (Cloud Grass}. A large 

 family of Grasses, the best of which 

 in the garden are the annual kinds so 

 useful when dried. There are some 

 half-a-dozen annual kinds grown, the 



Young Ailantus tree with Cannas. 



best A. nebtilosa, which forms delicate 

 tufts about 15 in. high, and is useful for 

 rooms. If cut shortly before the seed 

 ripens and dried in the shade, it will keep 

 for a long time. The seed may be sown 

 either in September or in April or May, 

 and lightly covered. A. Stcveni, multi- 

 flora^ and plumosa require the same 

 treatment. A. Spicaventi is very grace- 

 ful, especially if grown from self-sown 

 seeds. A. pulchella is also useful for the 

 same purpose, dwarfer and stiffer than A 

 nebulosa. 



AILANTUS (Tree of Heaven}. 

 Chinese hardy tree, young plants of 

 which cut down every year give a good 

 effect. It should be kept when young 

 with a single stem clothed with its 

 fine leaves. This can be done by cutting 



